90 Pacifica Restaurant & Wine Bar Restaurant Review

: This restaurant’s somewhat obscure location can be tricky to find even for Irvine residents --- it’s located one mile west of the Irvine Spectrum in a DoubleTree, just off a seldom-used stretch of the 133 Freeway. Still, it’s worth finding, as executive chef Shannon Olvera has created a menu of contemporary cuisine that gives the expected conventions of a chain hotel restaurant a nice nudge. Start the meal with a round of either the tuna tacos in a wonton shell or the refreshing mango and shrimp tacos wrapped in jícama. The salad of dried apple chips, radishes, candied pecans and herbed goat cheese with apple dressing does a good job of highlighting Olvera’s commitment to fresh ingredients and balanced flavors. Mains run from hotel-friendly burgers and sandwiches to more advanced fare like pan-roasted chicken breast with sweet potatoes and grilled flat-iron steak with blistered tomatoes and a star anise demi-glace. Desserts are highlighted by the blueberry basil crème brûlée. Business types flock to 90 Pacifica for a pre-meeting breakfast or power lunch, or cozy up to the bar for a post-meeting cocktail or a selection from the surprisingly good wine list.